SPRINGFIELD - The
Illinois Board of Higher Education has selected Daniel
J. LaVista, President of McHenry County College, as its
next Executive Director. LaVista has a long record of
administrative and academic leadership in Illinois and
elsewhere, including as President of the College of Lake
County (CLC). He has been at the helm of McHenry County
College (MCC) since 1997.

LaVista will assume the duties of Executive Director May
1, succeeding Keith R. Sanders, who retires at the end of
May after 4 ½ years in the position.

"The Board is delighted to have a person of Dan LaVista's
stature, integrity, and record of achievement as its new Executive
Director," Philip J. Rock, Chairman of the Board of Higher
Education, said. "The pool of candidates for this position
was exceptionally strong, and Dr. LaVista's experience gives
the Board a proven leader in higher education at this critical
time for our state's system of colleges and universities."

Dr. LaVista said: "I look forward to this extraordinary opportunity
to serve the Board of Higher Education, the higher education
community, and the citizens of Illinois. I congratulate the
Board for developing The Illinois Commitment, a strategic
vision that will guide us during the challenging times ahead."
LaVista said expanding access to college and protecting affordability
of a college degree must continue to be high priorities for
the Board and the higher education community.

"The growing economic and social value of a college degree
- to graduates, to the state, and to society - demands that
we broaden access to higher education and place greater emphasis
on success for all students," LaVista said. "We also must
be vigilant in our resolve that cost is never a barrier to
getting in the door of a college or university."

He added that he agreed with Board policies aimed at strengthening
diversity on college campuses - among students as well as
faculty and administrators - and measures to aggressively
reach out to nontraditional students with programs and services
to meet them at the crossroads of their needs and lifestyles.
He also praised efforts to expand access, bolster affordability,
and fortify the quality of programs through technology, citing
the educational value of the Illinois Century Network, and
such learning initiatives as the Illinois Virtual Campus,
Illinois Community Colleges Online, and the Illinois Virtual
High School.

"These policies and programs have helped make Illinois the
number one system of higher education in the nation," LaVista
noted. "I am committed to working with the Board, with my
colleagues at colleges and universities, and with the Governor
and General Assembly to see us retain that status."

At McHenry County College, LaVista created the first strategic
planning process that defined the college's goals and values,
and promoted the revision of the institution's policies on
affirmative action. He also designed and implemented a referendum
that produced an increased tax rate for the college's education
fund and established an endowment campaign - MCC2001 - for
scholarships, faculty development, technology, and the visual
arts. He succeeded in getting a state capital grant of $9.14
million for construction of a classroom and student services
center. Community outreach also has been an important mark
of LaVista's presidency at MCC, including "Make a Difference
Day," the Biznet Business Expo, and Domestic Violence forums.

In his eight years as President of the College of Lake County
(CLC), LaVista shepherded the institution from one that served
a predominantly rural population to one whose clientele became
largely suburban in a short amount of time. He revitalized
the college's foundation, raising assets from $40,000 to $700,000,
and planned the development of a $13.5 million instructional
performing arts center. Affirmative action efforts were expanded
during his presidency leading to recruitment of minority faculty
through national searches and the assistance of professionals
from black colleges and universities. He instituted an enrollment
management process that raised CLC enrollment by 50 percent
in five years.

From 1995-97, in between his presidential terms at CLC and
MCC, LaVista was Chancellor for the Community Colleges of
Baltimore County, three separate colleges that had merged
into an integrated institution. He also held the position
of Vice President for Academic Affairs at Cuyahoga Community
College in Cleveland, Ohio, from 1985-87. LaVista's Illinois
roots date to 1976 when he became associate professor of theater
at Illinois State University.

LaVista has made numerous professional presentations, including
on such topics as managing change, learning and technology,
the vital connection between business and higher education,
lifelong learning, and higher education governance. He has
served as Chair of the Illinois Community College Presidents
Council, and in various professional affiliations and projects
in the United States and England.

LaVista holds a Ph.D. in Speech and Dramatic Arts from Syracuse
University, a master's degree in English literature from the
University of Dayton, and a B.A. in English from Siena College
in New York.